During a conversation with Metal Hammer magazine, former Iron Maiden vocalist, Blaze Bayley, opened up about his time with the band and his mental struggles after he left Iron Maiden in 1999.
Blaze said:
“Let’s face it, Bruce Dickinson is the absolute benchmark of what it is to be a heavy metal frontman. He’s one of the greatest singers and performers in any genre of music, and he’s just left your favorite band and they’ve got this idiot from Tamworth in?”
Bayley also said that fans were not by his side, all because he wasn’t Bruce Dickinson:
“A lot of fans hated me on principle. There is a percentage of fans that still hate me. There are some people who have never even heard me, but still hate me because I’m not Bruce.”
1 comment
If Mr. Bayley could ever read this.
I would like to tell him a big thank you for being in Iron Maiden and that he did a fantastic job during his time in the band.
Yes he wasn’t Bruce, but to be honest I personally didn’t want a Bruce Dickinson impersonator.
Blaze gave a Darker and Heavier flavour to the band. A Flavour that Bruce could never give just because he is not Blaze Bayley.
Bruce is awesome don’t get me wrong.
But Blaze is awesome as well in his own right.